In one moment
by akashic-Gleek
Summary: One moment can take you from the top of the world to the very bottom, Rachel's thoughts of Broadway flee with four simple words "There was an accident" This is an ANGSTY fic, unlike my normal work, you have been warned
1. Chapter 1

Rachel walks into the apartment, exhaustion creeping into her step after a long day of classes followed by practice with her mother in preparation for her Funny Girl audition. With two weeks left the diva's doubled her prep time and it's starting to show. Not that it matters, this is 'The role of her lifetime' and the diva will not let it pass her by.

Kurt is sitting on the couch when she walks in, an open suitcase on the table in front of him, he doesn't respond as she enters the room. "Going somewhere" Rachel asks after placing her coat on the hangar at the door. Rachel is caught off guard as he turns to face her, the redness around his eyes and his unfocused gaze concerning her "What's wrong?" she asks, moving swiftly into the room. "He shouldn't have been on the road" Kurt says softly. Rachel steps closer, placing her hand on Kurt's arm "What's wrong Kurt? What happened?" she says with a slight insistency. "There was an accident" Kurt says softly, his voice breaking as he speaks "They said it was bad" Kurt pauses, a terrible sadness in his eyes as he turns to Rachel "They don't know if he's gonna make it" he says softly. "Oh Kurt" Rachel says, she lays her hand on his shoulder "Your dad's strong, he'll be ok" Rachel sees confusion wash over Kurt's face followed by a painful sadness "Oh, Rach No" he says softly, turning to her "Dad's OK" Confusion crosses her face, mingling with the fatigue "Not Burt?" she says "Then…" her voice trails off as her eyes jump to his. Her blood runs cold as Kurt places his hand on hers "It's Finn" he says softly. Rachel pulls away "No" she says, stepping away from the couch "No" she repeats, falling to her knees. "Is he ok?" she asks, not looking at him "He's gonna be ok right?" Rachel turns to face him. "It's bad Rach" he says softly, he reaches for her hand "He's in surgery. They aren't sure if he's going to make it" Rachel gasps, her eyes un-focus and her hands start to shake. "No" she says after a moment "it's wrong, it can't be. It's not Finn, he's ok" she says, her words coming faster as her hands continue to tremble. "I'm flying home" Kurt says "In about 2 hours" Rachel turns to face him, tears streaming down her face "I have to go" she says, her voice breaking. Kurt nods "Dad called your house, there's a ticket waiting for you"

"Yeah dad, we're here" Kurt says into his phone, continuing to pace across the terminal "I don't know, she's not talking" he says, his voice drops to a whisper "It's not like her" Rachel is seated at the terminal gate, silent tears streaming down her face, she hasn't moved since they got there. "Yeah, OK I'll tell her" Kurt says "How's Carole?" Kurt nods to himself "Ok, yeah, go back to her. Thanks dad… I love you." Kurt closes the phone and sites down next to her. "He's out of surgery" he says softly "But he's in ICU" Kurt pauses "The doctor doesn't know when he will wake up" Kurt lays his hand on her shoulder but Rachel doesn't respond. "Dad is at the hospital with Carole, your dads are going to pick us up." Rachel doesn't look over, she doesn't see the stricken look on Kurt's face, see the tears fighting to trail down his face as well as they wait.

Rachel is vaguely aware of Kurt sitting in the seat next to her as the plane lifts off. Looking down she's surprised there's no blood coming from the wound in her chest. How could this happen? She was finally doing well, two more weeks and she'd have the part. The lead in Funny Girl, her first step onto Broadway, not that it matters. She won't make it two weeks; she won't make it two days, not without him. 'Finn' the pain pierces her, chasing away all thought, her mind echoes Finn over the rest of the flight; Finn in her loft, Finn at NYADA, Finn in the auditorium; the pain, walking away, leaving him there. The joy seeing his show, the fear and self-loathing at Mr. Shue's wedding, his intensity 'We are endgame,' kissing his head as she slipped out the door.

Rachel's father, Hiram, is waiting just outside the terminal when they arrive; his eyes pass back and forth between the pair as they walk over, neither one look good. He places a consoling hand on Kurt's shoulder as they walk down the hallway. "Dad" Rachel says softly. Hiram's heart falters; she sounds… broken. "Oh honey" he says, pulling her into his arms, Rachel curls her head against his shoulder, her shoulders shaking as he holds her. Kurt gives him a slight nod as their eyes meet, Hiram guides his daughter slowly to the car, Kurt walking next to them silently.

"Dad" Kurt calls out, nearly falling as he exits the car. Burt meets him with a rough embrace, held in his father's arms Kurt finally lets the tears flow. Burt comforts his son, holding him close as the Hiram and LeRoy approach, escorting their daughter between them. They stand for a few moments before Rachel looks up at Burt "Where is he?" she asks, her voice breaking "Where's Finn?" The intense look on her tear stained and reddened face reminding Burt of just how strong the pair's connection is. "Upstairs" he says "ICU. Carole is with him" Rachel nods slightly, reaching out she lays a hand softly on his shoulder "I'm sorry" she says, her voice filled with emotion. Rachel stumbles forward and heads forward with a single minded determination. Hiram, LeRoy and Burt share a look and the Berrys leave Burt and his boy in private.

Carole's ear catches a rather familiar voice echoing down the hallway "I don't care what time it is" comes the voice "I don't care when visiting hours are" closer now, "My fiancé, Finn Hudson, where is he?" Carole turns towards the door, her son's limp fingers falling from her hand as she opens it. "Rachel?" she says, turning to see the girl curled up against the wall, a wild look in her eyes; two nurses hovering over her, Rachel turns at her voice, stumbling to her feet when she sees Finn's mother "In here" Carole says, turning to the nurses "She just flew in from New York and she's family" she says, locking eyes with the nurses, leaving the rest unsaid. The nurses nod, understanding what side of ICU the youth was in. "Where's Finn?" Rachel asks as she takes a step forward. "In here honey" Carole says, guiding the young diva into the room.

Finn's unconscious body lay in the bed; his skin pale, and he had bandages covering the left side of his face and wrapped loosely around his ribs. She could see the black tip of stitching peeking out from under bandages across his chest and coming out from under the bandage wrapped around his right arm. An array of tubes and bags surround the bed, lights flashing on the machines meaning nothing to her in that moment. Rachel crumples to the floor next to the bed, her fingers barely wrapping around two of his, tears flowing freely down her face; she's softly repeating something as she rocks lightly in place. Hiram and LeRoy enter the room silently a few minutes later; Hiram handing Carole a cup of coffee as they join her silent vigil. Several minutes later Kurt and Burt enter the room, Kurt's hand covering his mouth as he sees Finn. Burt moves to embrace his wife, who buries her head against his shoulder, as Kurt moves to sit next to Rachel. She leans her head against his shoulder, fingers still entwined with Finn's, fingers trembling. "Don't leave me" Rachel echoes "I can't do this without you"


	2. Everything is going to be fine

Burt had tried to remove the diminutive girl's hand, Carole had warned him against it. Her reaction was almost violent in her sleep, her unintelligible words turning angry, then scared as the nightmare took hold. The Berry fathers helped lift their daughter into the chair Burt brought over next to the bed. Her grip on his hand was solid, Burt was thankful the tubes and wires were going into his other arm as she curled her head against his shoulder.

"Suffered severe" comes a haunting, disembodied voice "Can't say when" it comes again from another direction. Dark clouds swirl overhead as Rachel shivers in the cold, the voices coming softly, attacking her in this terrible darkness. "It's all up to him now" 'up to him' her mind echoes, trying to grasp onto a concept 'him'

Rachel startles awake, the unfamiliar territory disorienting her. A pain in her hand draws her attention, her fingers cramped from holding the pale hand over the night. Following the hand up to his chest brings the memories of the night before crashing down upon her. Finn, her Finn, beaten and bruised after a car accident, she and Kurt had flown in on a red eye flight, not knowing if he'd still be there when they got in. The cold terror took her again at the slight coldness in his hands, the soft mechanical beep of the heart monitor bringing her back; he was still here, still with her. Slowly she releases her grip on Finn's hand, not quite sure how she had ended up in a chair at his bed side; fairly certain she had been on the floor at the end of the night.

"Oh Carole" Rachel exclaims as she turns, seeing Finn's mother sitting a few feet away in one of the god awful upholstered chairs. Rachel stands on weak knees and approaches her "I'm sorry Carole" she says, turning slightly towards the bed "I shouldn't have taken your spot" Carole smiles at the tiny girl in front of her, remembering the angry words and hysterical crying from the night before "You were exactly where you should have been Rachel" Carole smiles and draws the girl into her arms, tears hovering in her eyes. "The doctor says he's ok for now" Carole says a few minutes later "He suffered some internal bleeding but they think it's all been taken care of" Rachel's eyes rise to meet hers, tears forming "He's going to be OK?" she says, voice barely a whisper. "They think so" Carole replies, tears forming in her own eyes "They said the worst is past" Rachel smiles a broken little smile "Good" she says, the fire holding the little diva up slowly sputtering out, he was going to be OK.

"You should get yourself home" Carole says a few minutes later "Hiram said he'd be back this morning" Rachel turned to face Finn's mother "I need to be here" she says, turning to face Finn, his pale form looking insignificant in the bed. Carole walks up next to her "He's going to be here for a while" she says softly, her voice breaking slightly. Carole turns Rachel to face her "Burt and I are going to be here, you go home and get some rest" Carole touches her cheek softly "I'll call if he wakes up" she says. Almost as if on cue Hiram enters the room "There's my kitten" he says softly, pulling her into a light embrace. "Hi daddy" Rachel says weakly, trying to rub the weariness and tears from her eyes. "Come on kitten, let's get you home" he says, sharing a concerned, pained look with Carole and Burt over Rachel's shoulder "give Carole and Burt some time alone with their boy" Rachel looks up at him, tears forming in her eyes again, he smiles down at her, she nods slightly "OK." Hiram leads her slowly from the room, she stops at the door "I'm coming back tonight tho" she says to no one in particular. Hiram nods "Of course"

"You shouldn't have done that" Burt says, walking up behind Carole, pulling her into an embrace as she lets the façade fall away. 'Severe internal bleeding' the voice echoes in her mind 'Possible brain damage' she leans into Burt "One of us should get at least one day of rest" Carole says, burying her face in his shoulder "she'll know soon enough" Carole shakes slightly 'Don't know when, or if, he will wake' she slumps into the chair Rachel had been occupying earlier, her hand slipping into his "This can't be happening" she says softly "He's my little boy" she leans over, kissing his cheek softly "Not Finn" she echoes "Not my boy" Kurt walks in the room, the smile on his face fading as his eyes go from his father to his step mother. "You lied to her" he says softly, walking over to Finn's side "He's not ok, is he?" Kurt looks down on the man in the bed, once his high school crush, now his big brother, his protector. Kurt remembers the look in his eyes the day he'd flown in from Lima to New York after Santana found out about Brody. He flew out, dealt with the situation and flew home, never wanting Rachel to know what happened or why. Kurt reached out and placed his hand over Carole's, holding it there softly. "He's going to be fine" he says softly "Finn's never been one to give up easily" Kurt looks up at the pale face and mess of wires "He's going to be fine" he says again, letting his hand slide away, the lie echoing in his ears.


	3. Chapter 3

Due to the events of tonight I will not be continuing this fic. I am sorry for those of you following but I can no longer continue this work.


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